Pleasanton council delays vote on Walmart grocery store

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PLEASANTON — A decision on a proposed Walmart grocery has been delayed another week so a city council member can collect more data on claims the retail giant may have violated federal law.

Council member Matt Sullivan, who requested a special hearing Monday to appeal the Planning Commission’s March approval of the plan, continued the hearing after nearly three hours. He asked for more time to research accusations that Walmart de Mexico was involved in bribery to gain market share in Mexico.

“Information has come to light that Walmart possibly violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act,” Sullivan said. “We need to know the potential impacts this could have under the circumstances.”

Walmart is seeking approval to open a Neighborhood Market grocery in the former Nob Hill location on Santa Rita Road.

Media reports began surfacing in April, first by the New York Times, that payments totaling $24 million had been used to “rush through” building permits in Mexico.

Sullivan and the council received a letter on the issue Monday from United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 5.

Based on that, Sullivan asked that city staff research the claim and find out what, if any, effect it would have on the city. He also asked for time to create an ordinance to limit city business with corporations found guilty of committing a crime. Neither of his requests got a necessary council majority vote.

Instead, Sullivan used his right as a council member to continue the item until the next scheduled council meeting, May 15. Sullivan will have to conduct the research, not the city, said Larissa Seto, Pleasanton assistant city attorney.

“I think the people are tired of it,” said Mayor Jennifer Hosterman about the delayed Walmart decision. “It’s up to the city to make a decision and move on.”

The application, which was submitted to the city in June, was approved by the city zoning administrator. The planning commission and the council voted 4-1 on Feb. 7 to uphold the zoning administrator’s approval.

The rest of the council was leaning Monday toward supporting the application. Hosterman and council member Cheryl Cook-Kallio both said they don’t shop at Walmart or agree with the company’s business practices, but would approve the plan because it is consistent with existing zoning for the site. The location was approved and zoned for a grocery store in 1982 and was a supermarket until Nob Hill shut its doors two years ago.

“The issue is whether it is a permitted use,” Hosterman said. “The reason it is permitted is because this is a landlord/tenant issue. If the city got involved in every landlord/tenant issue, we would not get anywhere.”

A large crowd for the hearing Monday at the city’s Firehouse Arts Center was nearly split down the middle with those who support the plan and those opposed. Most opposed cited an increase in traffic, Walmart’s treatment and pay of workers and the glut of grocery stores in the city.

Those in favor pointed to the long vacancy of the proposed site and that it is permitted for a grocery store.

“We are less than 30 percent occupied,” said Dorothy Anderson, the owner of the Meadow Plaza shopping center where the grocery would be placed. “We are only asking to replace a market with another market.”

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